Story by Fungai Jachi
Ministers of Education and educationists from East and Southern Africa have converged in Harare for the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SEACMEQ) Convention, with deliberations focusing on the quality of education systems in the region.
Officially opening the convention, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Honourable Torerai Moyo who is also Chairperson of SEACMEQ said ongoing research has helped influence policy changes towards transforming the African education sector.
“It is evident that our member countries have used SEACMEQ data to inform curriculum adjustments, improve teacher training programs and focus on areas where students may need additional support. However the journey has not been without its challenges.
“Implementing consistent assessment standards across diverse regions, managing logistical challenges that we strive to overcome. Our wish is to expand membership of the consortium as there is much work to be done to ensure equitable, high quality education for all students in our region,” he said.
Malawi Deputy Minister of Education Mrs Nancy Chaola Mdooko spoke on the importance of uniting to address challenges still faced by various countries in the education sector.
“The research has managed to give us an overview of the situation in Africa. Some countries are doing better than others but we want to have a standard for Africa. We want basic education to be of good quality. We want to work together to address the challenges we face, build on our success and ensure that the educational systems we support provide every child with the opportunity to reach their potential,” she said.
SEACMEQ has successfully completed four large scale studies which are having huge impact on the education sector in East and Southern Africa, with most countries, including Zimbabwe having adopted new curriculums.
